


Imagine

by Caracal



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-23 21:28:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2556359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caracal/pseuds/Caracal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of one-shots based on the Imagines from http://imaginexhobbit.tumblr.com.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Unexpected Courtship Part 1

Based on the imagine "being courted by Bofur & not realizing it until another member of the Company points it out." 

After doing your assigned duties of gathering firewood and grooming the ponies, you wandered away from the campfire's warm embrace to the nearby trickling stream. You sat at its bank and pulled of your boots and thick socks. A sigh of relief escaped you as you tentatively dipped your feet in the cold water, and dragged them along the silty stream bottom. You laid against the stream's bank, feet still in the water, and stared through the canopy's leaves to the stars above. 

This was the first chance you were allowing yourself to think about the past few weeks' journey, which you had joined after the Company had traveled through your village. Finally, after escaping cave trolls, you felt like you were being accepted as one of the Company. Yet, you smiled when thinking of the fact that Bofur had always treated you as one of their own. It didn't matter that you were the only female of the bunch, he had gone out of his way to engage you in conversation and jokes, ensure that you were well fed for seemingly the first time in your life, and clear a twig-free spot for you to lay on when the Company settled for the night. The other members of the Company were slowly learning to engage you in conversation, but it still wasn't the easy relationship you shared with Bofur. He almost reminded you of a protective older brother. Almost.

As if your thoughts had summoned the charming dwarf, you heard the distinctive clumping sound of his boots coming towards the stream. You sat up as he came near, and granted him a welcoming smile.

"Well, don't you look the comfortable lass," he lilted.

You giggled and gestured to the spot beside you, "won't you join me? The water is freezing, but feels wonderful on aching feet."

He thunked down beside you, and you needed to suppress a grin at the grace of dwarves. "Don't mind if I do lass! By the by, I've brought you your supper from Bombur, although I must admit that it was my idea to toast the bread in the fire."

"Thank you," you moaned as you bit into the warm, charred bread. You intermittently dipped it into your stew as you watched your companion struggle off with his boots and put his largish feet into the stream-bed. You munched in silence as you listened to his idle chatter. You couldn't remember the last time you had felt so content. The two of you chatted once you had finished your supper, but you noticed him eventually beginning to yawn. 

"We should go back to the others, I suppose," you suggested. He nodded, grabbed his boots, and offered you a hand, and ended up pulling you onto your feet completely. You walked back and each settled for the night. You were on second watch, and knew it was unlikely you would sleep for long before then, if at all.

As Balin held first watch, you sat near him and offered him quiet chatter and observations. He chuckled after a while. "Well, gel?" and was silent, but was looking towards you with a curious glint in his eye.

"Umm, yes? 'Well' what?" you asked, trying to think of what you had last said that would warrant such a vague question. 

"And has it been settled?"

"Has what been settled?" you asked questioningly. 

Balin chuckled, "Such a wee, shy thing ye are."

You blinked. What in Oromë's name..."I have to admit Balin, I'm not at all being coy, I genuinely have no idea what you're talking about." 

The older dwarf reddened. "Oh, I see, I had just thought....with you and Bofur getting along so well, and him making his intentions well known..."

You kept staring, that is, until his final statement seemed to sink into your thick skull. "EXCUSE ME? What..." you retried faintly, "what intentions would those be?" 

At this Balin did laugh, "Oh lass, surely you realized he wants to court you?"

Now you were the one turning red as a beet. "No, I did not at all realize...he didn't say a thing, and I thought...I thought.."

What did you think, exactly? Bofur had been treating you exceedingly kindly, but you could tell from his behavior amongst the others that he was in general a kind, warm, and welcoming dwarf. And yet, the way he treated you was somehow different. You tried to look back at the different kindnesses he had bestowed on you, the tenderness in which he had made sure you were always comfortable. You remembered that often, if you had glanced in his direction, he would be looking your way and grin towards you. Those grins had always filled you with warmth, making you want to giggle, but had also made you shy. 

Your heart started pounding as you tried to objectively consider whether or not you would welcome his courtship.


	2. An Unexpected Courtship Pt. 2

The next morning started similarly as other mornings traveling with the Company, and yet entirely different, for now you had new information concerning the relationship between you and a certain mustachioed dwarf. Last night you had lain awake going through all the possibilities, the predominant thought that Balin was most certainly mistaken. Yet, you couldn't reconcile yourself with that thought, and you wanted Balin to be right. You wanted Bofur to want to court you, you just didn't know how to appropriately convey your feelings. 

As a human with some Halfling blood, the journey to reclaim Erebor was your first introduction to Dwarvish culture. Your still limited knowledge left you knowing that Dwarves were exceedingly proper in regards to certain things, and easily took offense. Your own timidity mixed with such knowledge left you feeling unsure and nearly hopeless. Should you keep carrying on the way you had been, clueless, or did you need to send a clear signal? 

As you were pondering such thoughts atop your pony, a crack of thunder sounded above, spooking your mount. As she shied and you soothed her with sweet murmurs, the sky opened and the rain began to pour. You pulled up the hood of your green cloak, and shivered under its warmth. Soon, however, you were soaked through. The rain did not appear to be letting up, and you heard Dori asking Gandalf if he could not stop the rain. You smiled at the hope of Dwarves, and the solemn practicality of wizards. 

Later that night, you stiffly eased off your pony and groomed the shivering creature, and several others. "Poor beasts," you murmured. Your fellow two-legged companions had found a slight outcropping of rock from which they could light a cooking fire. Eleven dwarves, missing two watching the ponies, huddled together as much as they could under the meager shelter and near the fire's warmth. 

"Perhaps Bilbo and the lass can be given space as far under the roof as possible?" asked Bofur to his fellows. You smiled, but ducked your head, embarrassed to be receiving any kind of special treatment. Despite your protests, all agreed and practically shoved you into a corner with Bilbo, away from the rain. The two of you huddled together, backs against the stone wall, shivering. Your eyes looked across the fire, where Bofur caught your gaze and frowned. You watched him speaking with Balin, where the two kept glancing your way. You finally closed your eyes, too soaked and cold to care what they may be saying or planning, as you wrapped your threadbare blanket around you, pulling the edges over Bilbo. He seemed such a delicate thing, despite the fierceness of his often furrowed-brow. 

As you heard the little hobbit's deep breathing, you felt movement on your other side. Bofur had come to sit next to you. Before you could even greet him, he had pulled out his own blanket and covered both you and Bilbo with it.

"Bofur, you'll freeze!"

"Nah, lass, I'm Dwarf enough to do with a bit of shelter and the fire, although I will stay near to ya and keep ya warm," he said on a grin, but not quite meeting your eyes, perhaps because he could see the flaring red on your cheeks.

"Alright," you almost whispered, thinking. "Perhaps you can come under the blanket as well? Surely there's enough for the three of us." You held an open end, and despite your shyness, would not look away until he joined you under the blanket. He fidgeted a bit to get comfortable, finally putting his arm around you and drawing you near. You angled your body slightly, which resulted in your head resting near his shoulder. How bold you were! 

You were still shivering, although you weren't entirely sure cold was the cause anymore. Bofur took your hands and started rubbing the life back into them. You could only watch in wonder at his concentration, and his tenderness. Finally he kept them clamped between his own large ones. 

Nothing felt more right than snuggled up here in front of the fire with Bofur. Your breathe caught on all the thoughts running through your head, trying to think of ways to tell him how you felt. You thought back to some of the things Ori had told you concerning Dwarvish customs.

"Bofur?"

"Yes, sweet one?" You smiled at the endearment, and noticed him redden. Had he not meant to call you that? You almost giggled, but didn't want him to think you disliked the familiarity.

"I imagine from being in the rain and under my hood all day, my hair is going to be a tangled mass in the morning. . . "

He hesitated. "Aye? I suppose so."

You were going to, indeed, need to be bold. "Perhaps," you swallowed hard, "perhaps you might be kind enough to braid it for me?"

His face broke into the largest smile you had seen on him yet, despite the pink that touched his dimpled cheeks. "Indeed, my sweet one, it would be my honor and my pleasure."   
With your encouragement, he held you tighter and began to hum one of his songs, which was the perfect way to get you to fall asleep, nestled comfortably in his arms.


End file.
